Malu 'Aina

testimony on  Item D.7 on the August 14, 2015, BLNR agenda
lawsuit Ching v. Case on Pohakuloa

Aloha DLNR Board Memebers,

* The military has caused too much damage to ceded lands – whether at Kaho`olawe, Mākua, Waikāne, or Pōhakuloa.
More than 10 years ago our organization put out a map of present and former military sites on Hawaii Island that we have been able to document.  We named 57 present and former military sites used for bombing, artillery, live-fire ranges, etc. There may be 157 sites but we have documented 57.  The total area, including Pohakuloa, is more than 400 square miles or 250,000 acres.  That’s 9 Kaho’olawes in size on this island that should be considered military hazard areas.  In addition to the land areas there are near shore waters that have unexploded ordnance including Hapuna beach, Hilo Bay, Leleiwi, South Point, Kapoho, etc. sites in virtually every district on the Big Island.
* The military has not been complying with its lease requirements to clean up military debris at Pōhakuloa.
By far the largest concentration of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other military toxins including lead, exists at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA).  Official Maps of PTA include the words “All of PTA should be considered a dud hazard area.” This statement reflects the fact that although the military has a designated “impact area” virtually the entire base, and even outside the base, should be considered a dud hazard area.  How much UXO exists is unknown.  However an EIS done in conjunction with the Stryker brigade said that up to14.8 million live rounds are fired annually at PTA.  Everything from small arms, artillery, to large bombs.  The total number of live rounds fired at Pohakuloa is unknown but it is possible it is in the hundreds of millions.  It’s been a live fire base for more than 50 years.

* The State should not extend the lease that expires in 2029.
Kaho’olawe is a case study. of a mess that still needs to be cleaned up.  More than $400 million has been spent and there is still a mess on land and the surrounding waters.   The BLNR should not renew the PTA lease and should require the military to secure funding NOW to clean up it’s mess.  The cost is likely to be in the tens of BILLIONS of DOLLARS

* Ceded lands should be returned and cared for – not given to the military to trash.
Furthermore the BLNR should move to revoke the presidential and Governor executive orders seizing over 80,000 acres at Pohakuloa. This land needs to be cleaned and returned to the Hawaiian people as well as leased lands.

* Specific hazards and costly clean up of Depleted Uranium (DU)
Besides UXO of a wide variety of weapons, lead, various chemicals, and the toxic unlined burn pit at PTA where all sorts of munitions, etc. were burned needs to be addressed.  In addition, perhaps one of the biggest hazards if that of Depleted Uranium (DU) munitions confirmed used at PTA.  Testimony presented by Army Col. Howard Killian in 2008 before the Hawaii County Council indicated that upwards of 2000 DU Davy Crockett spotting rounds may have been used at PTA.  With the exception of a few small fragments, all that DU is unaccounted for and is MIA ( Missing in Action).  One can presume it has been pulverized by continued bombing and shelling and spread across the landscape on and off base at PTA.  Davy Crockett is just one of possibly dozens of DU spotting rounds or DU munitions that may have been used at PTA.  The Army says that DU was only prohibited from being used in training in 1996.  Since it was first confirmed used at PTA in 1964 that’s over 30 years of possible use.   The major health hazard of DU is from inhalation of small airborne particles that can lodge in the lungs or enter the lymph system and cause a wide variety of health problems including cancer. The BLNR should require thorough independent testing and monitoring for DU on leased lands at PTA and require thorough clean up of DU and other military toxins at PTA.

Mahalo for your consideration.
Jim Albertini
Aug. 11, 2015

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Jim Albertini Malu ‘Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown) Hawai’i 96760 Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org www.malu-aina.org

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